Advertising installation



May 1.7, 1932.

P. SCHOUWSTRA ADVERTISING INSTALLATION Filed Nov. 2l, 1929 "0 lll,

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fr! l l Patented May 17, 1932 UNITED STATES PIETER SCHOUWSTRA, F EINDHOVEN, NETHERLANDS, ASSIGNOR TO N. V. PHILIPS GLOEILAMPENFABRIEKEN, 0F EINDHOVEN, NETHERLANDS, A LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY 0F THE NETHERLANDS ADVERTISING INSTALLATION Application led November 21, 1929, Serial No. 408,878, and in the Netherlands December 5, 1928.

The invention concerns an installation comprising one or more electricdischarge'tubes destined for the radiation of light.v Such installations are frequently'utilized for advertising purposes, f the discharge tubes which, for example, are lled with neon and which radiate in that case the known red neon light, having the shape of deiinite signs, for example of characters or words. By prow ,viding each character on a separate shield and by placing a plurality of shields side by side it is rendered possible to form words. In many cases it is desirable to vary the characters or words at will; for this purpose the l shield or shields must be interchangeable.

' lation which meets the said requirements and which comprises one or more shields which can be interchanged extremely quickly and in a very simple manner. n

' An installation according to the invention comprises a plurality of electricdischarge tubes destined for the radiation of light, which are secured to preferably metallic shields which are arranged between rails and each of which can be arranged and replaced independently of the adjacent shields. The shields may be provided with rims adapted to engage the rails and one of the rims of each shield is preferably clamped against a rail with the aid of one or more screws which pass through threaded apertures of another rim of the shield and which bear on. a second rail. The rails may be secured in a box in such manner that the shields arranged between the said rails constitute a wall of the box.

The latter may be provided with a cover which may have a rim which when the box .formera choke coils, resistances.

is closed, extends some distance over Vthe shields. Within the box may also be arranged the other members pertaining to the installation, such as one or more transbox should preferably be made of metal and be connected to earth so that allthe parts being under high tension are surrounded by a grounded box. If the shields to which the discharge tubes are secured consist of metal, preferably at least one of the `rails should be made of metal and be brought into electrical connection with the earth terminal of the installation. .y

The invention will be more clearly understood by referring to the accompanying drawings which represent by way of example a mode of realization of an installation according to the invention. In the drawings Figure l is a perspective view and Figure Y2 is a cross-sectional view of the installation.

The installation represented in the drawings comprises a metallic box 1 provided with a cover Zwhich is adapted to turn on hinges 3. Within thebox are arrangedv two rails 4 and 5 which in-the example illus trated consist' of U-iron. The shields 6 to which the discharge Vtubes 7 are secured have two rims 8 and 9 adapted to engage the flanges l0 and ll of the U-shaped rails. The rim 8 is clamped against the iiange 10 of the rail -4 by means of a screw 12 which bears on the lower flange ll of the rail and which is screwed through al threaded bore of the rim 9. It desired, each shield may be clamped by a plurality of screws. It is also possible that the rims of the shieldsv engage the two flanges of a single U-iron. The shields are preferablymade of metal, owing to which it becomes needless to cover part of the discharge tubes with a conducting layer which is connected to one of the electrodes as is commonly don-e to reduce the starting voltage of the tubes. .p v

The said tubes may bey operated with an independent discharge; it is also possible to provide incandescent cathodes` The ends of the discharge tubes are provided withconnecting Y caps 13 and 14 to which connecting wires 15 and 16 which lead `to a transformer v17 may be connected for example by means of clamps. This transformer may show a great drop of voltage, owing to which steadying impedances in series with the discharge tubes can be dispensed with. Characters of each group may be fed from each transformer and may be connected in series. Y

The shields can be interchanged in an extremely simple manner. After lifting the cover, which,'if desired, may have secured to it a contact whereby thetension is out out when the cover is lifted, the connections with `theelectrodes can be broken and after the screws 12 have been loosened it is possible to remove the shields from the ldevice in a direction perpendicular to the rails and consequently independently of the adjacent shields and to replace them by others or to give them'another grouping. This does not take up much time and can be done by technically untrained persons. Y

The rim of the cover 2 somewhat overlaps the shields. If during the operation of the installation the 4screws would work loose, the shields are prevented from falling vout of the installation by the overlappingV rim of the cover. Y

What 1 claim is:

l. An installation comprising a box, containing at least two` rails, a plurality of shields carrying discharge tubes shaped as symbols being arranged betweenV said rails and constituting a wall of said box, this box being provided with a cover showing a rim, which, when the box is closed, overlaps the shields.

2. An installation comprising upper and lower rails of substantially U-shaped section, a plurality of shields, each carrying a gasfilled discharge tube and having flanges along the edges thereof adapted to cooperate with the said rails, the said shields being clamped by their te the said rails, and means for clamping the. shields to the said rails independently of each other in such manner that they are separately and independently removable therefrom without disturbance of the remaining shields.

3. An installation comprising upper and lower vsubstantially U-shaped rails, a plurality of shields each carrying a gas-filled discharge tube and having flanges thereon adapted to cooperate with the said U-shaped rails, the said shields having their flanges clamped between the legs of the U-shaped rails, and means for clamping the said shields by their flanges to the said rails'in such manner that any shield is separately and independently removable from the rails without disturbance of the remaining shields.

'il'. An installationeomprising upper and lower substantially U-shaped rails, a plurality of shields, each having a gas-filled discharge tube thereon and having flanges at their extremities Aadapted to cooperate with the said U-shaped rails, the said shields being mounted on the rails by means of their flanges which engage between the legs of the said U- shaped rails, at least one of the flanges of each shield having a threaded aperture therein, and a set screw threaded through the said aperture and engaging against the inner surface of one of the legs of one of the rails, in such manner that the corresponding shields are clamped and are separately and independently removable from the rails without disturbance of the other shields. f

5. VAnv installation comprising upper and lower substantially U-shaped rails, each rail having its central, web portion arranged substantially vertically, and the legs4 of each rail extending in the same direction, a plurality of shields, each carrying a gas-filled discharge tube thereon and having laterally extending flanges on their extremities, the said shields being mounted on the rails in such manner that their flanges extend between the legs of the said rails, and a threaded bolt threaded through'the upper fiange of each shield and abutting against the inner face Vof the lower leg of the upper rail to clamp the shield in place in such manner that each shield is separately and independently removable from the rails without disturbing the remaining shields.

6. An installation comprising upperand lower substantially U-shaped rails, the eentral, web portions of the said rails being arranged substantially vertical, and legs of each rail extending in the same direction from the said web portions, a pluralityof shields, each carrying a gas-filled` discharge tube and having laterally extending flanges on the edges thereof, the said shields being secured to the said rails by means of the said flanges which extend between the legs of the said U-shaped rails, and means for clamping the said shields between the rails independently of each other in such manner that they are separately and independently removable Cfl from the rails Without disturbance of the remaining shields.

7. An installation comprising a box, at least one rail in the said box, a plurality of shields carrying gas-filled discharge tubes thereon independently clamped to the said rail, means for clamping the shields to the rail in such manner that they are separately and independently removable therefrom Without disturbance of the remaining shields, and a cover on the said box having a rim which, when the box is closed, overlaps the said shields.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

PIETER SCI-IOUWSTRA. 

